The James Castle House is pleased to announce the individuals who have been selected to live and work at the 5015 Eugene Street property under its residency program in 2026. After a nationwide call, CL Young and Oluwatobi Adewumi have been selected for two-month residencies, and Lydia Ricci and Diana Kohne for two-week residencies.
The James Castle House received 137 applications for four terms, a record since the opening of the site in 2018. Residents were selected through a competitive application process, which included review by a selection panel composed of a previous James Castle House Resident, a local writer, a member of Boise’s d/Deaf community, and Arts & History staff. James Castle House staff conducted individual interviews with finalists.
Residents will have the opportunity to engage with Boiseans and visitors through open studios, workshops, and other public programs, while taking inspiration from the house and its legacy of creativity to create new work.
TWO-MONTH RESIDENCIES
CL Young (Hailey, ID)
Multidisciplinary Artist and Writer
Dates: June 1 – July 31, 2026
CL Young (they/she) is a multidisciplinary artist, writer, and facilitator based in Hailey, Idaho. Their work spans writing, performance, installation, and sound, to explore how time, place, and attention shape our experiences.
Young is the author of multiple poetry chapbooks, most recently Rose of No Man's Land, in collaboration with Emily Skillings (Belladonna* Collaborative), and What Is Revealed When I Reveal It to You (dancing girl press). Their writing and performances have been shared in cities across the Northwest and published in numerous literary journals.
Young received a Literature Fellowship from the Idaho Commission on the Arts in 2020 and hold a Master of Fine Arts in poetry from Colorado State University. Young has also been supported by organizations such as the Vermont Studio Center, Tin House, Naropa University, the Alexa Rose Foundation, Surel’s Place, and The Common Well.
During their residency, Young plans to spend time with James Castle’s work and environment, creating new pieces inspired by both the physical and emotional qualities of the space. Their process will center on themes of repetition, language, memory, and the meaning found in ordinary materials. Learn more at clyoung.info.
Oluwatobi Adewumi (McNeil, AR)
Multidisciplinary Artist
Dates: September 1 – October 31, 2026
Oluwatobi Adewumi (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores identity, culture, migration, and the emotional landscapes shaped by movement across place. Born in Nigeria and now based in McNeil, Arkansas, Adewumi creates multimedia drawings and paintings that bridge realism and abstraction, layering figures, portraits, and symbolic objects to examine how personal and collective histories are carried, transformed, and expressed.
Adewumi’s practice often incorporates items such as luggage, textiles, government forms, and cultural artifacts, engaging them as vessels of memory that speak to the lived realities of Black immigrant communities.
Adewumi’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, and his distinctive approach highlights the nuances of the immigrant experience, addressing challenges, triumphs, and the rich tapestry of cultural identity.
During his residency, Adewumi plans to create site-responsive works and community engagement opportunities that draw from Castle’s material practice and the historic site to explore themes of movement, loss, belonging, and cultural memory. Learn more at tobiadewumi.com.
TWO-WEEK RESIDENCIES
Lydia Ricci (Narberth, PA)
Sculptor and Animator
Dates: January 12 – 26, 2026
Lydia Ricci (she/her) is a sculptor and animator who turns the discarded remnants of daily life into intimate tributes to the ordinary. Rooted in the improvisational spirit of her upbringing, Ricci’s practice is built on the satisfaction of making something from nothing, a value inherited from her Ukrainian mother, who could conjure what was needed from what was available, and her Italian father, who never threw anything away because it might one day be useful.
For over 25 years, Ricci has collected the scraps that anchor her practice, crafting sculptures that echo the humor, tenderness, and beautiful disorder of everyday life.
Ricci’s work has been featured in solo exhibitions across the U.S. and abroad, including at VIN VIN in Vienna, the Berman Museum of Art, Paradigm Gallery, and the Philadelphia International Airport. Her sculptures and installations have also appeared in group shows at the Pensacola Museum of Art, Des Moines Art Center, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, and the Society of Arts + Crafts in Boston, among others.
Ricci intends to use the residency as an opportunity to follow intuitive processes and experiment with found and salvaged materials, honoring the creative legacy of James Castle. Learn more at fromscraps.com.
Diana Kohne (Pasadena, CA)
Multidisciplinary Artist
Dates: December 1 – 15, 2026
Diana Kohne is a painter and printmaker whose work examines the layered realities of the built environment. As a deaf/hard of hearing individual living within the vast sprawl of Los Angeles County, Kohne’s practice bridges the tactile and the conceptual exploring infrastructure, urban landscapes, and the human systems that shape them. Kohne’s paintings and prints render the city with precision and empathy, while her three-dimensional works turn toward environmental and social questions.
Kohne received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of North Texas in 2009. In addition to her studio practice, Kohne builds and sells plans for the "pocket press", a handheld etching press that brings printmaking within reach of anyone, anywhere.
During her stay, Kohne is eager to learn more about James Castle’s life and artistic practice as a d/Deaf person and will use her work to explore his legacy and the environment of Boise. Learn more at dianakohne.com.
About the James Castle House Residencies
The James Castle House Residencies invite emerging and mid-career artists and professionals working in any creative field to apply for two-month, two-week, and project residency terms in Boise, Idaho. Participants are provided time and space to create new work inspired by American artist James Castle’s house and creative practice, and their surroundings. While living on-site, residents connect with the community through open studios, workshops, and other public programs. The call for the 2027 residency terms will be published in the summer of 2026. Learn more about the James Castle House Residencies and its Participants.
About the James Castle House
The James Castle House is a historic site and museum serving as a testimony to the legacy of self-taught artist James Castle. As stewards of this legacy, the James Castle House is responsible for managing Castle’s historic living and working spaces, art and artifact collections, and offering public opportunities to engage with the site. More information: jamescastlehouse.org
